Black(board) Beauty

When we undertook our kitchen remodel last summer, I envisioned a counter depth 

refrigerator that seamlessly blended in with the cabinetry.  

(Perhaps if the children couldn't find the refrigerator then I would find them with their noses in books instead of inside the refrigerator looking for snacks ;-)  

We happened to find a "gently" used counter depth, side by side, panel ready refrigerator at our local appliance shop.  While we waited for it to be delivered we contemplated how we were going to take the existing thin, flat plywood panels and transform them into the raised panel, ivory base with tobacco distressed finish and oiled rubbed bronze hardware refrigerator of my dreams.  

So we came up with step one: paint it with an ivory base coat, tobacco glaze and then distress.  "Hmmm…." I heard my husband mumble after the first coat of glaze "That doesn't look good".  He was right.  Step two: give up and start another project.

I am not one for accepting unfinished or (pardon the expression) half a_ _ed projects.  It just drives me insane…really!  But live with it…I did…until just a few weeks ago when a light bulb went off in my head.  Why not paint the panels with chalkboard paint?  Not exactly what I had envisioned but I can showcase some pretty fonts and let the kids know what is for dinner.  I grabbed my paint brush, went scavenging through the laundry room for the chalkboard paint that I had used on in the inside of my son's bedroom armoire and in one afternoon restored my sanity.  

Presenting…

…the almost finished chalk/menu board refrigerator.  I did say almost finished…we want to do something about the big white square that is the water/ice dispenser (make it blend in instead of 

STAND OUT!) and we would like to paint the interior center panel to match the stainless handles.  I had to give up my oil rubbed bronze pulls but such is the nature of home renovation…just like marriage... it involves compromise.  

I am going to add a little something something to the other side panel as well.  Hopefully it won't take another year before I decide what that is.  

This is the refrigerator before.

I wanted to snap a photo of our little ones with their noses inside of the refrigerator for the "after" shot because that is the reality of the after but I haven't managed to get one…yet.

May your weekend be full of light bulb moments and happy compromises.

Cristine

I am linking this post to "Wow Us Wednesdays" 

at Savvy Southern Style